Letter 212: Chrysostom rebukes Theophilus for reported neglect of the assembly and urges correction.

I was deeply distressed to hear that you and the presbyter Salustius are not coming regularly to the assembly. This has hurt me no little. If the report is false, be quick to tell me that you have been slandered for nothing. If it is true, correct this slackness. Your reward is very great if, especially at this moment, you show the courage that is required. But there will also be serious judgment for those who hesitate, hang back, and fail to bring what they can. You know what happened to the servant who buried the one talent: he was punished for that alone and paid a penalty no one could excuse. So hurry to free me from this anxiety. When I hear that you are eagerly holding together the whole storm-tossed people, it brings me great consolation. But when I learn that some are growing slack, I grieve deeply for the slack themselves.

ΣΙΒʹ. Θεοφίλῳ πρεσβυτέρῳ. Σφόδρα ἤλγησα ἀκούσας ὅτι καὶ σὺ καὶ Σαλούστιος ὁ πρεσβύτερος οὐ συνεχῶς πρὸς τὴν σύναξιν παραβάλλετε, καὶ οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχέ με τοῦτο ἐλύπησε. Παρακαλῶ τοίνυν, εἰ μὲν ψεῦδος τοῦτο, δηλῶσαί μοι σπουδάσατε, ὅτι μάτην ἐσυκοφαντήθητε· εἰ δὲ ἀληθὲς, διορθώσασθε τὴν τοιαύτην ῥᾳθυμίαν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ μέγιστος ὑμῖν ἐστιν ὁ μισθὸς, μάλιστα ἐν τῷ παρόντι καιρῷ τὴν προσήκουσαν ἀνδρείαν ἐπιδεικνυμένοις· οὕτως οὐ τὸ τυχὸν ἕσται κρῖμα ὀκνοῦσι, καὶ ἀναδυομένοις, καὶ τὰ παρ' ἑαυτῶν οὐκ εἰσφέρουσιν. Ἴστε γὰρ τί πέπονθεν ὁ τὸ τάλαντον καταχώσας τὸ ἓν, ὃς οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἐγκαλούμενος, διὰ τοῦτο μόνον ἐκολάζετο, καὶ ἀπαραίτητον ἐδίδου δίκην. Σπουδάσατε οὖν διὰ τάχους ἐλευθερῶσαί με τῆς φροντίδος. Ὥσπερ γὰρ πολλήν μοι φέρει παράκλησιν καὶ παραμυθίαν, ἐπειδὰν ἀκούσω, ὅτι μετὰ προθυμίας ἅπαντα τὸν χειμαζόμενον λαὸν συγκροτεῖτε· οὕτως ἐπειδὰν μάθω, ὅτι τινὲς ῥᾳθυμοῦσιν, οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχεν ἀλγῶ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν τῶν ῥᾳθυμούντων. Τὴν μὲν γὰρ καλλίστην ἀγέλην ἐκείνην ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάρις καθ' ἑκάστην συγκροτεῖ ἡμέραν, καθάπερ καὶ ὑμεῖς διὰ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῶν ἔγνωτε· οἱ δὲ ῥᾳθυμίᾳ τὰ παρ' ἑαυτῶν ἐλλιμπάνοντες, οὐ μικρὸν ἑαυτοῖς διὰ τῆς ῥᾳθυμίας ταύτης συνάγουσι κρῖμα.